Page 98 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - London

96  L ONDON AREA B Y AREA

New York. Originally on Dover
Street, it has been situated in
John Nash’s Classical Carlton
House Terrace (1833) since 1968.
With its entrance on The Mall,
this extensive warren contains a
cinema, auditorium, bookshop,
art gallery, bar and restaurant. It
also hosts concerts and lectures.
A modest fee applies to non-
members, providing all-day
access to most exhibitions
and events.

Royal Opera Arcade
9 Royal Opera entrance to No. 116, Nash’s
Arcade United Services Club (1827).
This was the favourite club of
SW1. Map 13 A3. 1 Piccadilly Circus. the Duke of Wellington and
now houses the Institute of
London’s first shopping arcade Directors. Facing it, on the other
was designed by John Nash and side of Waterloo Place, is the
completed in 1818, behind the Athenaeum (No. 107), Institute of Contemporary Arts, Carlton
Haymarket Opera House (now designed three years later by House Terrace
called Her Majesty’s Theatre). Decimus Burton, and long
It beat the Burlington Arcade the power house of the British
(see p94) by a year or so. The establishment. Next door w St James’s
traditional shops that once are two clubs by Sir Charles Park
used to be based Barry, architect of the Houses
here have since of Parliament (see SW1. Map 13 A4. Tel 0300 061 2350.
moved on: pp76–7): the 1 St James’s Park. Open 5am–
Farlows, selling Travellers’ is at midnight daily. 0 Open daily.
7 ∑ royalparks.org.uk
shooting and fishing No. 106 and the
equipment, and the Reform at No. 104.
famous Hunter’s green The clubs’ stately In summer, office workers
Wellington boots, interiors are sunbathe between the
is now nearby, at The Duke of Wellington (1842), well preserved dazzling flowerbeds of the
No. 9 Pall Mall. a frequent visitor to Pall Mall but only capital’s most ornamental
members and park. In winter, overcoated civil
their guests are admitted. servants discuss affairs of state
0 Pall Mall as they stroll by the lake and
eye its resident ducks, geese
SW1. Map 13 A4. 1 Charing Cross, q Institute of and pelicans (who are fed at
Green Park, Piccadilly Circus.
Contemporary Arts 2:30pm daily). Originally a
This dignified street is named marsh, the park was drained
for the game of palle-maille – The Mall SW1. Map 13 B3. Tel 020 by Henry VIII and incorporated
a cross between croquet and 7930 3647. 1 Charing Cross, Picc a- into his hunting grounds.
golf – which was played here dilly Circus. Open 11am–11pm Tue– On his return from exile in
in the 17th century. For more Sun. (Exhibition space closes 6pm, France, Charles II had it
than 150 years, Pall Mall has 9pm Thu, bookshop 9pm.) Closed remodelled (probably by the
1 Jan, 24–26 & 31 Dec, public hols. &
been at the heart of London’s 7 (cinema and lower gallery) phone French designer Andre Mollet)
clubland. Here, exclusive first. - 0 = Con certs, theatre, in the more continental style
gentlemen’s clubs were formed dance, lectures, films, exhibitions. as pedestrian pleasure gardens,
to provide members with a ∑ ica.org.uk with an aviary along its south-
refuge from their womenfolk. ern edge (hence Birdcage Walk,
The clubhouses now The Institute of Contemporary the street where the aviary was).
amount to a textbook of the Arts (ICA) was established in It is still a popular place to take
most fashionable architects of 1947 to offer British artists some the air, with an appealing view
the era. At the east end, on of the facilities available to artists of Whitehall rooftops and an
the left is the colonnaded at the Museum of Modern Art in attractive central lake.

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